Where are the Mr. Darcy, Mr. Thorton, Mr. Knightly, Captain Wentworth, and Roger Hamley's in the real world?
Ha... I know what you are thinking. It is fiction. You will never find a Mr. Darcy, etc. in the real world? You are getting your hopes up.
I think not. Why settle? Is that what us, women have left?
Why can't we find our prince? The one who will love us with all their hearts.
I am not meaning prince in riches, but one with good character.
In these literary worlds from the 1800s, reputation meant the life or death of a person. Why have we gotten to the point in our world, where reputation does not mean a life of moral and respectable behaviour.
Then again, I think, are there any more of these men left?
I know there once were, as I have wonderful examples of my own dad, grandpas, and uncles. Each of these men in my life care/cared a great deal for their wives and families. They would give everything for their families.
I could end this blog now because I have given examples that satisfy myself, but to some they might think that family is just a freak accident. But I think naught.
So I turn to one of probably the oldest love stories in history.
Ruth, yes, Ruth, the girl from the Bible, Ruth.
The Moab woman that gave up her culture, her family, her religion, and follow this unknown God of her late husband's nation.
You may be thinking, what are you talking about? How does this have to deal with Mr. Darcy and those associated?
But this story has everything to do with it.
Here is a bit of background to this story in History.
Naomi and her husband and two sons leave Israel into the nation of Moab because of famine.
In Moab, her sons meet two Moab women, Orpah and Ruth. They married and not many years after Naomi's husband and sons died.
At this time, Naomi has heard that famine is no longer in Israel. She decides to go back and she tells her daughter-in-laws that they should go back to their own families. Orpah and Naomi try to disagree and Naomi tries to convince them again saying "There is no way that if I remarry and have two sons, would you really wait until they grew up to marry them?" (paraphrased again). Orpah decides to go back home, but Ruth pleads to Naomi. She says, "Your God is my God, Your nation is my nation" (a bit paraphrased) Naomi consents, probably a little relieved that she has a companion.
They reach Israel and Naomi is greeted by some women that know her. She then tells them that her name is no longer Naomi, as it means blessed, and that her new name is Mara meaning bitter as her life has been full of bitterness because of the deaths of her kin and her move away from Israel and the famine.
So now you have two widowed women, with no income. So Ruth decides that she will glean in the fields as it is harvest time, so that they would have food. Ruth goes to a field and starts gleaning. The owner asks some workers, who the woman is, and they tell him that she is the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Then the owner tells the workers to pull out extra sheaves of grain, and leave her be and let her work with the servant girls.
Ruth than goes home and Naomi and her see how much grain Ruth got. There was a whole bunch and Naomi was "whose fields did you glean?" Ruth then tells that the fields she gleaned were that of Boaz's and Naomi exclaimed he is our kin...
Naomi then told Ruth to go back and that this is a blessing. Ruth keeps going and meets with Boaz during a lunch.
Naomi then tells Ruth that she should go one night while Boaz is threshing and after he is done and is asleep, to go and lay down at his feet. He then wakes up and promises that he shall marry her as it is in tradition, but there is another that is closer in relations to Naomi and has claim on the property. Boaz then meets with this other at the front gates with the elders of the town as is custom. The other kin is ready to take the land, but Boaz mentions that he must also marry the daughter-in-law and the child born will be of her former husbands line, so that the former's husbands line would continue and the property as well. This kin was basically like heck no, why would I want property when my own line wouldn't have ownership of it. So the kin gave Boaz his shoe as his signing/agreeing with the agreement.
Boaz then marries Ruth and they have children. Ruth then became an ancestor of David and then Jesus.
This is my favorite book in the Bible, as I have just typed this story from memory. Although this isn't the traditional love story, but having a man that honors, respects, and cares for you and would be there when needed. Boaz was Ruth's Kinsman Redeemer.
This is then shown later as Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer as well.
I do believe that somewhere out there is my Mr. Darcy, etc... or my Boaz out there. This may seem as a hopeless romantic idea.
I believe that there is a Boaz out there for me and for others. Although it may seem like there are more frogs than princes as the Superchic[k] song goes, there are some good, honest, and men of character still out there that respects and honors a woman, I hope.
So ladies, do not settle. Being single is better than being with a man that does not respect or treat you right. You do not need a boyfriend, not having one, does not make you any less. Not being asked out does not mean that no one loves you. God will always love us and his love is there for us always. God has given us many wonderful examples in the Bible. So it isn't myth that you can't expect a Mr. Darcy, etc... God loves us so much and he doesn't want us to settle. He wants the best for us, someone who will support and lift up us spiritually, who will protect us, who will love us,who will respect us, and keep our honor.
Today's society has tossed out the idea of keeping a woman's honor or anyone's honor for that fact. No longer is it thought virginity is a honor, but a disease for something wrong with a person. The press were nervous when they found out Tim Tebow was saving for marriage. The last visible symbol that shows this honor is the white wedding dress, meaning purity, but even that is being misused and misunderstood.
Where are the days of the Knights, the Samurai, and propriety, where honor and character are the most important things?
So I end this saying, I am waiting for that man to sweep me off my feet with his character and love for God.
